“Go help him,” Trauma yelled as the sounds of gunfire increased above them. “Get the guy in the street back there.” He followed her fingered to a figure lying prone in the street, the same man he slammed on his brakes to avoid crushing.

Thorton crouched down as he moved, occasionally looking up as thunderous booms and piercing shrieks echoed between the buildings. When he got back to base, he was going to have a serious discussion with Agents Prescott and Edwards. Their recruits, especially Archangel, were insubordinate and disrespectful to their superior officers. He looked forward to many sweaty days of remedial training for the redheaded Enhanced woman.

When he reached the victim, he noticed the long white hair matted with blood and the torn black tactical gear with leather boots barely hanging on his body and around his waist, a belt with an empty sheath. The moron was likely a street vigilante that tried to take on more than he could handle. As Thorton rolled him over, the white-haired victim grabbed his wrists.

* * *

Cloak slowly moved as his earpiece turned on. Dagger was talking to someone but also letting him know what was happening. He needed to find his partner.

“I thought you were a good guy, Maze,” Dagger said over the radio. “That thing is far more dangerous than any of us.”

You found him! Where are you, brother? Cloak asked. If they killed Maze, they could leave this wretched city.

Cloak tried to sit up but could not get the leverage, his legs were still healing and his arm muscles were nearly useless. He managed to roll over on his side as the sounds of boots approached him.

Two blocks over. He lied to us. We were not just protecting a valuable asset, Dagger replied.

What do you mean?

I saw the science experiment, brother. Michael Larson is a weapon. He just slaughtered six powered mundanes.

That’s not possible. We saw the JTF records. He can only make portals.

No, brother. Herr Metall has created something much worse.

“Help me, please” Cloak lied with his native accent as blood oozed from wounds all over his face. If he was a mundane, these wounds would be fatal, but to an Enhanced, he only needed time. He quickly scanned the JTF officer turning him over. He was the driver of the Stryker and he was a very ambitious upstart. That could be useful.

“Just take it easy, sir,” Thorton said as he looked over the injured man. “We have help coming and we’ll get you over to Methodist shortly.”

“No, wait,” Cloak said grabbing Thorton’s sleeve. “Listen to me. I need to get out of here. He’s coming for me, don’t you see? “

He smiled as the mundane did not react to the scan. He could feel his body continue to repair itself but he needed more time to heal before he could take on anyone, even the pathetic mundane standing over him. “I know things and they’ll kill me for it.” That got his attention.

“Who? Who’ll kill you? You know what’s going on here?” Thorton asked.

Cloak smiled as he felt the excitement in Thornton’s voice. He knew this mundane, Agent Gil Thorton, would be easy to manipulate even if he wasn’t a telepath. The agent craved power and control.

“My name is Special Agent Stefan Glas, Swiss Department of Foreign Affairs.” Cloak lied as he used his telepathic abilities to relax the JTF officer. The real Stefan Glas was dead, assassinated by him and Dagger last year after the Swiss government started inquiries on their employer’s bank accounts. A computer empath took care of the digital records but Special Agent Glas also had hard copies. After they killed him, the fire did the rest.

“Are you Enhanced?” Thorton asked as he stood up and backed away..

“Yes. We don’t have the issues with Enhanced like you Americans do.”

Thorton folded his arms. “And what are you doing here, Agent Glas?”

“I was following a trail of money laundering from a Swiss bank account to Indianapolis when I was attacked by these criminals.”

Thorton narrowed his eyes and frowned. “You should have come to us, first. You are an unregistered Enhanced in this country. I could have you imprisoned for a long time.”

“Please, wait. There’s a reason I did not involve the JTF. You’ve been compromised. These criminals were meeting two recruits, Jason McCloud and Scott Jurgens. Recruit McCloud did this to me.” Cloak pointed down at his injuries trying to work the sympathetic.

Cloak feigned helplessness as he looked up at the mundane. He knew convincing Thorton that Justice was a traitor would be difficult. He needed to push the focus to someone Agent Thorton did not trust. “They had a third accomplice, he’s the one you are after. He killed that mundane. You forget you saw me and I’ll tell you everything I know.”

“Keep talking,” Thorton said as a grin appeared on his face. This was his time to shine.

“There was a witness and she saw everything. The two recruits came here to kill her, but I found her first.”

Cloak focused on Amira’s stolen memory as he touched Thornton forehead. “Let me show you what really happened that night.”

* * *

Agent Thorton jumped as the memory started, the view shifting to eyes that were not his own. He did not move as each moment replayed for him in graphic detail. It was clear to him, those fiery red eyes came from the soul of the devil himself. There was no remorse when Agent Russell was casually tossed in the air, his spine snapping on impact. The greatest horror was the mundane civilian with Russell. He was begging for mercy when his body suddenly imploded. What the hell did Larson do to him?

He checked his radio. The signal had returned after the reboot.

Thorton burned with anger. They had all laughed at him, but he was right. It was Larson. He was the traitor. He was the murderer. Well, fuck Caldwell. He could rot in that hospital bed while Bravo company finds that little shit.